Difficult to say for sure what caused the plane crashpublished at 12:44 Greenwich Mean Time 24 January

12:44 GMT 24 January

Pavel Aksenov
BBC Russian defence correspondent

Russian Telegram channels claim that the IL-76 was shot down by Ukrainian air defence systems. This theory could be confirmed by a video showing the missile trace or the actual moment of the aircraft being hit.

However, we haven't seen such a video, and based on the available footage, it's difficult to say for sure what caused the plane crash.

We can see the aircraft descending towards the ground. At some point, a large fragment detaches from it, and presumably afterwards, flames erupt around the left wing.

This cannot be considered as conclusive evidence that the plane was shot down, nor does it disprove this version.

The crash site is located about 50 km from the Ukrainian border, potentially allowing Ukraine to use certain medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems.

For example, the Patriot SAM could have potentially been used. The IRIS-T SLM, which is known to be in Ukraine’s arsenal, has a range of 40k and is unlikely to reach such a distance.

If Ukraine, as claimed by some in Russia, used the Patriot SAM, then the range of its PAC 2 missile family is 160 km. On the one hand, with this range, there is no need to position the complex near the border, risking exposure to Russian drones or artillery strikes.

On the other hand, its value in defending strategically important objects is significant. It's not clear whether Ukraine would risk using such crucial weaponry to shoot down an aircraft when they could use them against Russian "Kinzhal" missiles instead.

In the discussions about supplying Ukraine with Western weapons, particularly ground-to-ground missiles, concerns were expressed in the United States that Kyiv might use them against targets on Russian territory. However, officially no such restrictions have been placed.

A prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine was being prepared for today, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence told Radio Liberty.

Andriy Yusov is quoted as saying: "I can state that the exchange planned for today is not taking place yet."

He adds that the information provided by Russia, that prisoners of war had been on board the plane which crashed in Belgorod, was being checked.

Image source, Reuters

As we continue to monitor developments from Belgorod, let's look at what's been happening in the Ukraine-Russia war in recent months.

• Russian strikes on Ukraine have continued, including as recently as yesterday when eighteen people were killed and 130 injured in multiple cities. In early January, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to "intensify" attacks.
• Ukraine has been staging apparent sabotage operations within Russia. The BBC has been told drones directed by Kyiv were responsible for an explosion at a gas export terminal in St Petersburg
• Border regions like Belgorod are also coming under attack. 18 people were killed in a strike on Belgorod on 30 December, while Kyiv has been hitting Russian military targets in occupied Crimea
• Russian controlled territory in Ukraine has also come under attack. At least 27 people were killed in a shelling attack in Donetsk two days ago

• Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has been intensifying calls for more military aid from western countries, arguing his forces are running out of ammunition

As we've been reporting, Russia says that the plane which crashed in Belgorod region was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war.

We have now had a statement from the Coordination HQ on Treatment of the Prisoners of War (POWs), which is a Ukrainian government body.

The statement urges the "mass media and citizens to refrain from spreading unverified information," and adds it is collecting more information.

"We emphasise that the enemy is actively carrying out special information operations directed against Ukraine," the statement says.

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners since the start of the war, including the biggest swap yet taking earlier this month, when 230 Ukrainians were exchanged for 248 Russians.

Russia's foreign ministry says Ukraine downed the military plane that crashed in Russia's Belgorod region, calling it a "barbaric" act, state news agency TASS reports.

The BBC cannot yet verify who was on board, or what caused the plane to crash.

We'll bring you more as we have it.

How we know where and when the plane crashedpublished at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 24 January

11:30 GMT 24 January

So far, we are working from an initial video of the moment of impact.

In it, a church in the middle-distance with a distinct spire beside it, a single-storey blue building closer to the camera, and the layout of the roads are all matches for satellite imagery of the Yablonovo village in Belgorod Region on both Google and Yandex (the Russian equivalent of Google).

We can also be confident the video is from today: satellite weather data shows heavy cloud over the area, as we can see in the video, as well as some flurries of snow in the morning, matching the snow seen on the ground in the video.

Two still images from the video were also reverse-searched – combing the internet for any pre-existing copies – and none were found, meaning the video was very likely recently uploaded for the first time.

As a rule of thumb, we start to find copies of videos from Ukrainian or Russian incidents about two to three hours after they happen.

Image source, Google

All passengers on board the military plane which crashed in Belgorod region have died, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov says.

"A transport plane crashed in the Korochansky district. It fell in a field near the village. All those on board were killed," Gladkov writes on Telegram. , external

He adds that the crash site has been cordoned off and an investigation is being carried out.

Image source, AFP

Meanwhile Russia has continued its strikes on Ukraine.

A four-year-old child and eight other people have been injured in the latest Russian attacks on the city of Kharkiv, the regional governor says.

Oleh Sinehubov adds that four people were taken to hospital but their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine is among the buildings that have been damaged.

Wednesday's strikes come a day after eight people were killed in the city.

The video of the crash verified by the BBC was taken from the village of Yablonovo, in Russia's Belgorod region.

Yablonovo is about 108 miles (174km) from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv across the border.

The city of Belgorod has come under missile attacks recently. On 30 December, a missile and drone attack killed 25 people, in the deadliest attack on Russian territory since the start of the conflict.

Image source, .

Steve Rosenberg
BBC Russia editor

The Ilyushin 76 military transport plane crashed in Russia’s Belgorod Region.

Mobile phone footage shot at a distance shows an aircraft falling from the sky, then seconds later a fireball rising.

Russian news agencies quoted the Russia’s defence ministry as saying there were 74 people on board the aircraft - including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who Moscow says were to be part of a prisoner exchange.

As yet, there is no independent confirmation of this.

Later the head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee claimed there’d been a second plane in the air transporting another 80 Ukrainian prisoners, but the aircraft, he claimed, had turned around.

A Russian MP says the military transport plane was shot down by three missiles fired by Ukraine.

Speaking in the Russian parliament, the Duma, Andrei Kartapolov, a retired general, said the missiles were of types that the West has supplied to Ukraine.

Kartapolov did not state the source of his information, or provide evidence.

He added that investigations would reveal whether the missiles were Patriots or IRIS-Ts.

Watch: Moment Russian plane crashespublished at 10:21 Greenwich Mean Time 24 January

10:21 GMT 24 January

The BBC has verified this video showing the moment the Russian aircraft - reportedly an Il-76 - crashes near Belgorod.

A warning, the video below contains distressing images. And as a reminder - we do not know what caused the crash.

Francis Scarr
BBC Monitoring

As we just reported, the Russian Defence Ministry says an Il-76 military transport aircraft carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners-of-war has crashed in the Belgorod region.

Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov earlier confirmed on his Telegram channel that an "incident" had occurred in Korochansky district, but provided no other details.

Local channel Bletgorod posted footage purporting to show the aircraft rapidly losing altitude before hitting the ground and catching fire.

Image source, Getty Images

• The Russian Defence Ministry says a military plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war has crashed in southern Russia
• The crash happened in the Belgorod region and involved a Il-76 military transport aircraft, the ministry says
• The ministry says six crew members and three attendants were also on board.

The BBC is working to verify who was on the plane, and what caused the crash

Nadia Ragozhina
Live reporter

A Russian military plane has crashed in Russia’s Belgorod region, reportedly carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest from our teams in London, Moscow, and Kyiv.